Monthly Archives: October 2011

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COVINA — Police asked the public’s help in finding a 72-year-old man suffering from Alzheimer’s disease who wandered away from his wife’s business Sunday.George Pavez of Covina walked away from his wife’s business in the 600 block of South Shoppers Lane about 1 p.m., Covina police Sgt. Rob Bobkiewicz said.In addition to Alzheimer’s disease, Pavez also suffers from other medical conditions that require medication, police said.He’s described as Latino, 5 feet 2 inches tall, of medium build, Bobkiewicz said. He’s badling with gray hair and has a 4-inch scar on the top of his head, and his eyes are brown.Pavez was last seen wearing a gray checkered shirt and khaki pants.Anyone with information is asked to call Covina police at 626-331-3391.

Alfred Campos Jr., 38, of Rancho Cucamonga was booked on suspicion of murder in connection with the incident, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Sgt. Mike Thomas said in a written statement.

The incident was first reported about 1:20 a.m. Saturday at the intersection of Passons Boulevard and Telegraph Road, sheriff’s officials said.

“Sheriff’s Homicide investigators learned Suspect Campos and the victim were involved in an altercation at a nearby location,” Thomas said. “According to witnesses, immediately following the altercation, Campos got into his vehicle and purposely ran over the victim while he was in the street.”

Witnesses flagged down a patrol deputy who happened to be in the area and pointed them toward Campos as he was driving away from the scene, Thomas said. The deputy called for paramedics to tend to the victim and pursued the car.

“Pico Rivera sheriff’s deputies stopped the car at Slauson Avenue and Boer Street in the unincorporated county area of Whittier and detained Campos, who was then identified by witnesses as the suspect,” Thomas said.

The pedestrian was pronounced dead at the scene, officials said.

The investigation is being handled by detectives from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau.

LA MIRADA — Two women died and three people suffered serious injuries when a Honda Accord carrying seven people crashed into a power pole and a tree, authorities said.The names of the dead women were not released pending notification of their family members, Los Angeles County Coroner’s officials said.California Highway Patrol officials described them as a 21-year-old woman, the driver, and a 20 year old woman. Both were from Whittier.The car was heading west on Lambert Road, just east of Fireside Drive, about 3:50 a.m. when the crash occurred, CHP officials said in a written statement.“For undetermined reasons, (the Honda) veered to the right, colliding with a wooden power pole, then continued in a westerly direction, colliding into a tree,” the statement said.The 21-year-old driver and 20-year-old passenger were taken to hospitals where they died from their injuries, authorities said.A 20-year-old Cerritos man and an 18-year-old La Puente man were hospitalized in critical condition following the crash, officials said, and a 23-year-old La Habra man was hospitalized with injuries including cuts to his head and broken bones in his back.A 19-year-old Bellflower woman and a 20-year-old Cerritos woman riding in the car were hospitalized with apparently minor injuries, according to the CHP.The cause of the crash was being investigated by the Santa Fe Springs office of the CHP.

MONROVIA — A man who had been holding his ex-wife at gunpoint near Library Park Saturday fatally shot himself when confronted by police, authorities said.Police initially described the dead man as appearing to be in his late 40s.The incident was reported just after noon in front of Library Park, in the 300 block of South Myrtle Avenue, Monrovia police Lt. Dan Verna said.Police received several 9-1-1 calls reporting a domestic dispute in which a man threatening a woman with a gun.“When officers arrived, they found a man holding a woman at gunpoint,” Lt. Jaime Alfaro said.Officers ordered the man to drop his gun and surrender, Alfaro said.“The male turned the gun on himself and took his own life,” the lieutenant said.The woman, who was in her mid-40s, and two young children she was with were unhurt, police said.Investigators learned the man was the woman’s ex-husband, and one of the children with the woman was theirs, Alfaro said. He had followed the woman and children to the area.Police summoned counselors to comfort the woman and children.

MONROVIA — Police are investigating a shooting that took place during a domestic violence incident between a man and woman in front of Library Park, authorities said.Police and fire officials were summoned to the park, 321 S. Myrtle Avenue, about noon, Monrovia police Sgt. Dan Verna said.The man was pronounced dead at the scene from what police said was possibly a self inflicted gunshot wound.Initial reports from the scene indicated multiple witnesses called 9-1-1 just prior to the shooting to report that a man armed with a gun was trying to “contact” a woman.The woman was unarmed and unhurt, Verna said.No further details were available.

ALHAMBRA — A man died early Saturday after he was wounded in what authorities suspect was a gang-related car-to-car shooting after leaving a Halloween party.Leopaldo Anaya, 19, of Los Angeles was taken by a friend to Los Angeles County USC Medical Center following the shooting, where he was pronounced dead, Montebello police officials said in a written statement.The shooting is believed to have taken place just after midnight Saturday in the area of Winchester and Concord avenues in Alhambra, near the border with the El Sereno neighborhood of Los Angeles, Sergeant Joe Flannagan said.“The friend stated that just prior to the shooting, he, the victim and a third friend known only as ‘Danny’ were attending a Halloween party in the area,” Flannagan said.They were driving away from the party when a car, possibly a black Honda, pulled alongside them.“Shots were exchanged between the vehicles,” Flannagan said.Anaya, who was a passenger, was shot once in the chest, police said.It was unclear Saturday whether the victims and suspects were involved in an argument or altercation prior to the shooting.Investigators recovered spend bullet casings in the street at the scene of the shooting.Anaya was believed to have ties to an El Sereno street gang, police said.Detectives continued seeking “Danny,” who gave no statement to police or medical staff before leaving the hospital, Flannagan said.Anyone with information is asked to call Alhambra police Detective Gomez at 626-308-4844. Messages can be left anonymously if desired.

ALHAMBRA – An El Monte man who works as a student aide was arrested Friday for allegedly assaulting a 13-year-old girl earlier this year.Alhambra police Lt. Dan Rodriguez said the alleged molestation happened sometime between January and February at Garfield Elementary School, 119 W. Mclean St.Authorities found out on Friday.“It appears the (girl) didn’t reveal it to any school staff until today,” Rodriguez said.School employees then notified police.Johnny Lagunas, 20, was arrested on suspicion of child molestation. He was being held at Alhambra jail in lieu of $100,000 bail.Rodriguez said Lagunas should be arraigned Tuesday at Alhambra Superior Court.Police suspect Lagunas could have been involved in other similar incidents and are looking for other victims.Anyone with information is asked to call Det. Huezo or Det. Orozco at 626-570-5151.-From staff reports

LA MIRADA — A woman died in an early morning solo-car crash on Lambert road in an unincorporated county area northeast of La Mirada Saturday, officials said.The woman appeared to be in her mid-20s, however her identity was not available early Saturday, Los Angeles County coroner’s officials said. She was pronounced dead at Whittier Hospital Medical Center.The crash was reported just before 4 a.m. on Lambert Road, near Fireside Drive, according to California Highway Patrol logs.Two other people were reportedly injured when the car hit a power pole, however no further details were immediately available.

PASADENA — A man awoke in the early morning hours Saturday to find an intruder breaking into his home, police said.The break-in was reported about 2:40 a.m. in the 1100 block of North Wilson Avenue, Pasadena police Lt. Diego Torres said.“The victim, a male in his 20s, was awakened when he heard someone tampering at his side door,” the lieutenant said.When he went to check on it, he saw someone climbing through a window, Torres said.The man yelled at the intruder, who then ran away, he said. The victim was unable to provide a description of the burglar.

INDUSTRY — A Diamond Bar man died and three other people were injured in a crash involving two cars and two big rigs early Saturday, authorities said.Jonathan Guzman Vaca, 22, of Diamond Bar, died in the 2:50 a.m. crash on the eastbound 60 Freeway at Azusa Avenue, Los Angeles County Department of Coroner’s Lt. Larry Dietz said.It initially appeared that Vaca was entering the freeway from southbound Azusa Avenue in a 2003 Nissan 350Z when, “For reasons still under investigation, the driver was not able to control the Nissan as he entered the main portion of eastbound State Route 60,” California Highway Patrol officials said in a written statement.After entering the right-hand lane of the freeway, Vaca’s Nissan was struck by a big rig, officials said.“After being struck by the big rig,” the CHP statement said, “the Nissan spun across into the No. 3 lane and was struck by another big rig.”The Nissan was forced into the center divider, and a 2000 Nissan Frontier SUV being driven by a 33-year-old Pomona man then struck the rear of the big rig, CHP officials said.Fire Department paramedics pronounced Vaca dead at the scene, officials said.The driver of the Nissan Frontier and one of the big rig drivers, a 27-year-old Anaheim man, were hospitalized with major injuries, according to the CHP. A 64-year-old Fontana man who was driving the other big rig suffered minor injuries.All but one lane of the freeway were shut down as officials examined the scene early Saturday.Officers from the Santa Fe Springs office of the CHP are continuing their investigation.

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